Integrated system for communication and sensing for distributed antenna systems

ABSTRACT

A system and method for communicating and sensing for distributed antennas associated with a building. Each of a number of antennas distributed geographically within the building include one or more sensors, each of the one or more sensors being configured to sense an environmental condition associated with the building and generate sensor data. A sensor processor is configured to receive the sensor data and generate a digital map view of a portion of the building based on locations of the plurality of antennas, the map view including a digital representation of the sensor data.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject matter described herein relates to communication andsensing, and more particularly to an integrated system for communicationand sensing for a distributed antenna system.

BACKGROUND

Many buildings today include systems that enhance wirelesscommunications within the building. These systems could be radiofrequency (RF) repeater-type systems, Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS),small cells and other solutions. The types of wireless signals that maybe enhanced using these types of systems include cellular systems, Wi-Fisystems and Public Safety systems. In particular, Public Safety systemsare being deployed more frequently as fire code requirements becomeincreasingly more stringent.

In addition to enhancement systems for wireless communications, there isalso rapid growth in so-called smart buildings. A smart building is anystructure that uses automated processes to automatically control thebuilding's operations including heating, ventilation, air conditioning,lighting, security and other systems. A smart building uses sensors,actuators and microchips, in order to collect data and manage itaccording to a business' functions and services. This infrastructurehelps owners, operators and facility managers improve asset reliabilityand performance, which reduces energy use, optimizes how space is usedand minimizes the environmental impact of buildings.

This level of automation coupled with the requirements for wirelessenhancement systems leads to extremely complex in-building systems toconnect all of the devices together. Various techniques have beenconsidered to minimize this complexity including, wireless meshnetworking techniques such as ZigBee and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), aswell as wired techniques such as Power Line Communications (PLC).However, systems to reduce the complexity of building automation andsystems improving RF signal quality in a building have typically notbeen integrated.

SUMMARY

This document presents an-building integrated communication and sensingsystem and method that generates a map view of a building based on adistributed antenna system located therein, and shows sensor data of oneor more sensors associated with each antenna. The sensors sense acondition or environment associated with the building. These systems andmethods reduce the complexity of smart building systems, among otherfeatures.

In one aspect, a system for communicating and sensing for distributedantennas associated with a building includes a plurality of antennasdistributed geographically within the building. Each of the plurality ofantennas includes one or more sensors. Each of the one or more sensorsis configured to sense an environmental condition associated with thebuilding and generate sensor data. Each of the plurality of antennasfurther includes a communication module to transmit the sensor data. Thesystem further includes a signal distribution network configured tocommunicate the sensor associated with each of the plurality of antennasfrom the communication module. The system further includes a sensorprocessor configured to receive the sensor data and generate a digitalmap view of a portion of the building based on locations of theplurality of antennas, the map view including a digital representationof the sensor data.

In some other aspects, a method for communicating and sensing fordistributed antennas associated with a building includes the step ofsensing, by one or more sensors associated with each of a plurality ofantennas distributed geographically within the building, anenvironmental condition associated with the building and generate sensordata. The method further includes transmitting, by a communicationmodule of each of the plurality of antennas, the sensor data to a signaldistribution network, and receiving, by a sensor processor associatedwith the plurality of antennas, the sensor data from the signaldistribution network. The method further includes generating, by thesensor processor, a digital map view of a portion of the building basedon locations of the plurality of antennas, the map view including adigital representation of the sensor data.

Implementations of the current subject matter can include, but are notlimited to, methods consistent with the descriptions provided herein aswell as articles that comprise a tangibly embodied machine-readablemedium operable to cause one or more machines (e.g., computers, etc.) toresult in operations implementing one or more of the described features.Similarly, computer systems are also described that may include one ormore processors and one or more memories coupled to the one or moreprocessors. A memory, which can include a non-transitorycomputer-readable or machine-readable storage medium, may include,encode, store, or the like one or more programs that cause one or moreprocessors to perform one or more of the operations described herein.Computer implemented methods consistent with one or more implementationsof the current subject matter can be implemented by one or more dataprocessors residing in a single computing system or multiple computingsystems. Such multiple computing systems can be connected and canexchange data and/or commands or other instructions or the like via oneor more connections, including but not limited to a connection over anetwork (e.g. the Internet, a wireless wide area network, a local areanetwork, a wide area network, a wired network, or the like), via adirect connection between one or more of the multiple computing systems,etc.

The details of one or more variations of the subject matter describedherein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the descriptionbelow. Other features and advantages of the subject matter describedherein will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from theclaims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, show certain aspects of the subject matterdisclosed herein and, together with the description, help explain someof the principles associated with the disclosed implementations. In thedrawings,

FIG. 1 shows a system consistent with implementations of the currentsubject matter;

FIG. 2 shows a smart antenna of a distributed antenna system, consistentwith implementations of the current subject matter; and

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method of determining a position of a firstresponder in a building, where the first responder is using a radio.

When practical, similar reference numbers denote similar structures,features, or elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In accordance with some implementations, a system 100 is shown inFIG. 1. The system 100 includes one or more smart antennas 104 connectedto one or more signal sources 102 through a common physicalcommunication medium such as a coaxial cable or a fiber optic cable. Thesystem 100 further includes a sensor processor 108 connected with signalsource 102 and the smart antennas 104 via the communication medium.

As shown in FIG. 2, one or more of the smart antennas 104, andpreferably all of the smart antennas of the system 100, include one ormore sensors 202 for sensing a local environment, activity, or featureto produce sensor data, which can be received and processed by sensorprocessor 108 or local sensor processor 204. The sensor data can also besent to one or more destinations using the shared common physicalcommunication medium, or signal distribution network, as well as one ormore antennas 208 or smart antennas 104 that may radiate thecommunication signals from the one or more signal sources 102.

In some implementations, the communication medium is a RF mesh networksuch as ZigBee or BLE. The sensors 202 include capabilities to senseenvironmental conditions that may be of interest to building occupantslike first responders, such as firefighters. These conditions mayinclude, without limitation, carbon monoxide concentration, temperature,air quality, ground or building movement, and the like.

In some preferred exemplary implementations, the system is configured togenerate a digitally-produced map view of a building or floor thatindicates a position of each antenna, and shows the sensor readingsassociated with each antenna. In some implementations, a user interfaceis provided to allow a user to select or indicate which sensor readingsshould be shown. In yet other implementations, the system 100 isconfigured to only show sensor readings that exceed a predefinedthreshold, in time units or in quantifiable units. Such a map view maybe locally accessible at the system 100 or remotely via, for example, aweb interface via signal source 102.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method 300 of communicating andsensing for distributed antennas associated with a building. At 302, oneor more sensors associated with each of a plurality of antennasdistributed geographically within the building sense an environmentalcondition associated with the building and generate sensor data. At 304,a communication module of each of the plurality of antennas transmitsthe sensor data to a signal distribution network. At 306, a sensorprocessor associated with the plurality of antennas receives the sensordata from the signal distribution network. At 308, the sensor processorgenerates a digital map view of a portion of the building based onlocations of the plurality of antennas, the map view including a digitalrepresentation of the sensor data.

One or more aspects or features of the subject matter described hereincan be realized in digital electronic circuitry, integrated circuitry,specially designed application specific integrated circuits (ASICs),field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) computer hardware, firmware,software, and/or combinations thereof. These various aspects or featurescan include implementation in one or more computer programs that areexecutable and/or interpretable on a programmable system including atleast one programmable processor, which can be special or generalpurpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmitdata and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device,and at least one output device. The programmable system or computingsystem may include clients and servers. A client and server aregenerally remote from each other and typically interact through acommunication network. The relationship of client and server arises byvirtue of computer programs running on the respective computers andhaving a client-server relationship to each other.

These computer programs, which can also be referred to programs,software, software applications, applications, components, or code,include machine instructions for a programmable processor, and can beimplemented in a high-level procedural language, an object-orientedprogramming language, a functional programming language, a logicalprogramming language, and/or in assembly/machine language. As usedherein, the term “machine-readable medium” refers to any computerprogram product, apparatus and/or device, such as for example magneticdiscs, optical disks, memory, and Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs),used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmableprocessor, including a machine-readable medium that receives machineinstructions as a machine-readable signal. The term “machine-readablesignal” refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and/ordata to a programmable processor. The machine-readable medium can storesuch machine instructions non-transitorily, such as for example as woulda non-transient solid-state memory or a magnetic hard drive or anyequivalent storage medium. The machine-readable medium can alternativelyor additionally store such machine instructions in a transient manner,such as for example as would a processor cache or other random accessmemory associated with one or more physical processor cores.

To provide for interaction with a user, one or more aspects or featuresof the subject matter described herein can be implemented on a computerhaving a display device, such as for example a cathode ray tube (CRT) ora liquid crystal display (LCD) or a light emitting diode (LED) monitorfor displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointingdevice, such as for example a mouse or a trackball, by which the usermay provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices can be used toprovide for interaction with a user as well. For example, feedbackprovided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, such as forexample visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; andinput from the user may be received in any form, including, but notlimited to, acoustic, speech, or tactile input. Other possible inputdevices include, but are not limited to, touch screens or othertouch-sensitive devices such as single or multi-point resistive orcapacitive trackpads, voice recognition hardware and software, opticalscanners, optical pointers, digital image capture devices and associatedinterpretation software, and the like.

In the descriptions above and in the claims, phrases such as “at leastone of” or “one or more of” may occur followed by a conjunctive list ofelements or features. The term “and/or” may also occur in a list of twoor more elements or features. Unless otherwise implicitly or explicitlycontradicted by the context in which it used, such a phrase is intendedto mean any of the listed elements or features individually or any ofthe recited elements or features in combination with any of the otherrecited elements or features. For example, the phrases “at least one ofA and B;” “one or more of A and B;” and “A and/or B” are each intendedto mean “A alone, B alone, or A and B together.” A similarinterpretation is also intended for lists including three or more items.For example, the phrases “at least one of A, B, and C;” “one or more ofA, B, and C;” and “A, B, and/or C” are each intended to mean “A alone, Balone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, orA and B and C together.” Use of the term “based on,” above and in theclaims is intended to mean, “based at least in part on,” such that anunrecited feature or element is also permissible.

The subject matter described herein can be embodied in systems,apparatus, methods, and/or articles depending on the desiredconfiguration. The implementations set forth in the foregoingdescription do not represent all implementations consistent with thesubject matter described herein. Instead, they are merely some examplesconsistent with aspects related to the described subject matter.Although a few variations have been described in detail above, othermodifications or additions are possible. In particular, further featuresand/or variations can be provided in addition to those set forth herein.For example, the implementations described above can be directed tovarious combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed featuresand/or combinations and subcombinations of several further featuresdisclosed above. In addition, the logic flows depicted in theaccompanying figures and/or described herein do not necessarily requirethe particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirableresults. Other implementations may be within the scope of the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for communicating and sensing fordistributed antennas associated with a building, the system comprising:a plurality of antennas distributed geographically within the building,each of the plurality of antennas having one or more sensors, each ofthe one or more sensors being configured to sense an environmentalcondition associated with the building and generate sensor data, each ofthe plurality of antennas further having a local sensor processorconfigured to process the sensor data and a communication module totransmit the sensor data, and a central sensor processor configured toreceive the sensor data from the local sensor processor or thecommunication module of each of the plurality of antennas, and generatea digital map view of a portion of the building based on a location inthe building of each of the plurality of antennas, the digital map viewincluding a digital representation of the sensor data; a signaldistribution network comprising a common physical communication mediumshared by the plurality of antennas and a radio frequency mesh networkbetween the plurality of antennas and the central sensor processor, thesignal distribution network being configured to communicate the sensordata and map view associated with each of the plurality of antennas andits associated one or more sensors from the communication module; and auser interface configured to receive the sensor data and/or digital mapview from the common physical communication medium or the radiofrequency mesh network and display the digital map view of the portionof the building, the user interface being configurable to displayselected sensor data in the portion of the building based on userselection.
 2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the centralsensor processor is connected with all of the plurality of antennas viathe signal distribution network.
 3. The system in accordance with claim1, wherein the environmental condition includes one or more of carbonmonoxide concentration, temperature, air quality, ground and/or buildingmovement.
 4. A method for communicating and sensing for distributedantennas associated with a building, the method comprising: sensing, byone or more sensors associated with each of a plurality of antennasdistributed geographically within the building, an environmentalcondition associated with the building and generate sensor data, theplurality of antennas being interconnected by a signal distributionnetwork that comprises a common physical communication medium shared bythe plurality of antennas and a radio frequency mesh network between theplurality of antennas and a central sensor processor; receiving, by thecentral sensor processor associated with each of the plurality ofantennas, the sensor data from the signal distribution network via thecommon physical communication medium or the radio frequency meshnetwork; and generating, by the central sensor processor, a digital mapview of a portion of the building based on a location in the building ofeach of the plurality of antennas, the digital map view including adigital representation of the sensor data; transmitting, via the signaldistribution network, the sensor data to a user interface; anddisplaying, in the user interface, the digital map view of the portionof the building, the user interface being configurable to displayselected sensor data in the portion of the building based on userselection.
 5. The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the centralsensor processor is connected with all of the plurality of antennas viathe signal distribution network.
 6. The method in accordance with claim4, wherein the environmental condition includes one or more of carbonmonoxide concentration, temperature, air quality, ground and/or buildingmovement.